			Enhanced Sidplayer, a Review:
			----------------------------

Every so often, Compute! Publications contradicts their own long-standing
reputation for mediocrity and latches on to a real gem.  Such is the case
with "The Enhanced Sidplayer" by Craig Chamberlain.  For those of you who
are not familiar with Sidplayer, the original C64 SID music editor/player
by Harry Bratt (first published as a type-in in "All about the Commodore 64,
Volume 2; and later re-issued on disk with "The Complete 64"), this system
is responsible for somewhere between 2000 and 3000 arrangements and
compositions for the C64's SID chip now in the public domain.  No other music
system for the C64 that I have seen is capable of squeezing such variety and
sophistication from that lowly little 3-voice chip (a relatively obscure
program called "Master Musician" comes as close as any, but is still missing
many of the effects available here).

So it has come to pass that Craig Chamberlain has completely re-written the
package so as to incorporate everybody's "wish list" into the original.  The
program is still faithful to the original (i.e. user's of the original
Sidplayer will have no trouble using this updated version), and the book has
been extensively revised to organize and present both old and new material
in a highly understandable and educational manner.  The editor program itself
is now largely machine-language for even faster editing (and the original was
no slouch, either).  The player now fully supports accompanying singalong
words and graphics.  Both C128 and C64 versions of all programs are included,
and the C128 versions *do* take full advantage of the extra memory (again,
not that the C64 version is incapable of long songs - 3-5 minute selections
are run-of-the-mill for the C64 version).  The book includes tutorials on
many aspects of music theory and notation.  For all it's complexity, the
editor is amazingly simple to use, and music entry moves along at quite a
rapid pace.

One small problem - the Enhanced Sidplayer, because of it's more extensive
command set, is capable of creating music files which the older (Sidplayer
based) players will refuse to play (they quit playing somewhere in the
song when an unidentified command is encountered).  There is no obvious way
to tell an Enhanced Sidplayer music file which will crash the old players from
one that won't.  The solution is to only use players which utilize the latest
interpreter (i.e. the one that comes with Enhanced Sidplayer).

Within the confines of these 80-column boundaries, I will restrict further
review to a list of major topics covered by the book (and therefore supported
by the editor).  This should give a more-than-adequate clue to the extensive
capabilities within.  The book/disk (officially called "Compute!'s Music
System for the Commodore 128 and 64") is $24.95 from Compute! Books.  The disk
is not copy protected.  The book is 274 pages.  I am in no way affiliated with
Compute!, just a very satisfied buyer.

Introduction
	The SID Chip, Compatibility, The Player, Song Selection, Song Playing,
	Singalong Songs, Songs with Pictures, Filter Problems (and solutions),
	Selecting Adjacent Songs, Continuous Playing, Changing Disks, How to
	Use The Book
Fundamentals of Music Theory
	Notation, Pitch, Accidentals, Key Signatures, Durations, Dotted Notes,
	Measures, Tempo, Rests, Ties and Slurs, Dynamics, Multiple Voices
The Editor
	Loading, Main Menu, Four Screens, Directory, Loading Song, Playing
	Song, Slow Playing, Fast Forward, Playing at a Measure, Saving Song,
	The Singalong Screen
The Editing Screen
	Voice Number, Measure Number, Key Signature, Staffs, Pitch, Duration,
	Accidentals, Beats, Joystick Editing, Scrolling, Fast Scrolling,
	Replace, Insert, Delete, Undelete, Backspace, Clear, Moving, Playing
	on the Editing Screen, Rests, Tie/Slur, Measure Markers, Search for
	a Measure, Cut and Paste, Key Repeat, Staff Type, Autoinsert, Auto-
	matic Measure Numbering, Free Memory, Saving Your Custom Settings,
	Help Screen
The Command Screen
	Tempo, Volume, Measure #, Search for Command, Update Mode, Help Screen
The Display Screen
	General, Measures, Phrases, Voice Columns, Playing on the Display
	Screen, Demonstration
A Sample Session
	Sheet Music, Tempo, Volume, Key, Time, Measures, Note Entry, Editing,
	Playing, Debugging, Commands, Display Screen, Save, Load
Waveforms
	Types, SID Chip Limitations, Waveform Command, Pulse Width, Pulse Width
	Sweeping, Demonstrations
Envelopes
	Attach, Decay, Sustain, Release, Sustaining vs. Nonsustaining, Release
	Point, Legato Style, Hold Time, Staccato Style, Demonstrations
Repetition
	Repeats (head and tail), Phrases (musical "subroutines"), Calling
	Phrases, Nested Phrase Calls, Cross-Voice Phrase Calls, Da Capo,
	Dal Segno, Coda, Advanced Applications
Frequency and Waveform Effects
	Portamento, Vibrato, Pulse Width Vibrato, Detuning, Transposing,
	Synchronization, Ring Modulation, Demonstrations
The Filter
	Harmonics, Filter Mode, Cutoff, Resonance, Autofilter Mode, Filter
	Cutoff Sweeping, Restrictions, Filter Variations among 64s and 128s
	Demonstrations
Modulation
	Using the Envelope or Oscillator of Voice 3 to Modulate the Frequency,
	Pulse Width, or Filter Cutoff of Another Voice; Software Generated
	Waveform Modulation
Advanced Music Theory
	Tempo Change, Dynamics, Key Change, Staff Change, Time Signatures,
	Partial Measures, Accidentals, Double Sharps and Flats, Double Dots,
	Triplets, Grace Notes, Uncommon Durations and Utility Duration, Trills
Advanced Commands and Techniques
	Playing at Any Tempo, Utility Duration, Volume, Noise Waveform,
	Waveform Combinations, Envelope, Pitch Bending, Playing Pitches While
	Fading, Glide of Any Length, Portamento and Vibrato Simultaneously,
	Detuning with Transposing, Synchronization with Portamento, Ring
	Modulation with Portamento, Synchronization with Ring Modulation,
	Filtered Ring-Modulation Tones, Changing the Piano-Key Color, Phonetics,
	Musical Sculptures, More Than Three Voices, Playing a Song on Two
	Computers
Polyphony and Phrasing
	Utility programs
Singalong Songs
	The Singalong Screen, Entering Words, The Flag Command, Color and
	Reverse Printing in Verse Lines
Merging Enhanced Sidplayer with BASIC Programs
	Interrupt-Driven Playing, Load and Play Procedure, Synchronizing to
	the Music, Demonstration, Multiple Songs, Compatibility
Utility Programs
	Music File Copier, Merging Songs, Extracting a Part of a Song
Hints, Tips, and Suggestions
	Suggestions and Shortcuts, Customizing the Editor, Enhanced Sidplayer
	on Your Stereo, How to Create Picture Files, Original Compositions,
	Where to Submit or Find More Sidplayer Songs

							Sincerely,
							Frank Prindle
							Prindle@NADC.arpa